These sijos appeared in Eastern Structures, Vol. 10, Spring, 2019.
A sijo is a work of three-line poetry from Korea that adheres to the specific guideline of containing 14-16 syllables per line with a pause in the middle. In these three sijos, I’ve exaggerated the pause by setting the second part of each line as a separate left-justified stanza of its own. What I’ve tried to do is write these six stanzas so that they can be read (a) as three sijos read left to right); (b) as six poems that can stand on their own; and (c) as two poems that stand on their own, one in the left column, one in the right; and (d) as a single poem in its entirety
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Three Sijos on Unbidden Love: Wow! Amazing Mike! Absolutely fantastic.
Mike, I first read this sijos as a complete poem because I did not know what a sijos was!! After I read your explanation, I went back and read it as three poems and then as six! It’s a complicated and beautiful form! You did it justice – and then some!! Love it!!